The More the Merrier: Fatherhood in An Anti-Kid World

“Do you know what causes that?” “Wow, you have your hands full.” “You are done now, right?” “You’re overpopulating the planet!” “Are all of those yours?” “Can you afford that many?”
Those are just a few of the things you’ll hear from complete strangers if you have more than the nationally approved average of 1.7 children. And that doesn’t include the dirty looks and laughter directed your way. You might have heard of manspreading or fat-shaming, the latest outrages in our PC culture. Well, today I’m adding a new one to the list: Kid-shaming.
It really seems to boggle the mind of the average American that anyone would want more than 2 kids. The assumption is that number three must be an accident. I mean, it’s a proven fact that kids make you miserable, right? They cost a quarter of a million dollars to raise, don’t they? Not to mention they are bad for the environment!! Basically, in the popular imagination, kids are the equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease—and who would want more than one or two of those??
Kids are awesome
Forget what the culture says. Kids are awesome. There is nothing like having two miniature men run to the door screaming “Daddy!” the moment I walk in the door. There are few things as happy as having little arms wrapped around my neck, or hearing a little voice say, “I love you, daddy.” Or seeing a boy with his hat on backward pretending that he is a baseball player. Or wrestling fiercely with two pint-sized warriors.
It is such a joy to help a little life discover the world—to explore, to learn, to wonder at nearly everything. It is such a happiness to watch them proudly sport a milk mustache and say, “I have a beard just like you!” Then there’s bedtime stories, hilarious sentences said